CleanTech Report 2019.03.24

Texas retail bests 13 other states in driving solar power.
Amazon announces four new renewable energy projects.
Egypt's Benban Solar Park attracts $127 million investment.
Nigerian government partners with AfDB to expand power accessibility by $200 million.

CleanTech Report March 21th 2019

AFRICA

Government Of Liberia To Train More Rural Women As Solar Energy Technicians

Front Page Africa

The Government of Liberia, in partnership with the Barefoot College of India, is planning to open a Vocational Training Center at the Grand Bassa Community College, for the training of rural women in the use of solar energy.

Zambia Scores With First Scaling Solar Project In Africa

Lusaka Times

The President of the Republic of Zambia on 11th March 2019 commissioned Zambia’s and Africa’s First Scaling Solar Project supported by the World Bank to be run by the Bangweulu Power Company Limited. The facility boasts of a 54 MW first large-scale solar power plant in Africa that will cover 30,000 households and the lowest tariff in sub-Saharan Africa at 6¢ (US Cents).

Germany’s FDIs To Nigeria Hit €183M

Oil and Gas Republic

Germany’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nigeria exceeded its 2015 target of EUR140 million, reaching over EUR 183 million a year ahead of time. The country’s yearly FDI rate between 2015 and 2016 exceeded the baseline that was needed to increase its investments in Nigeria.

ASIA

100 MW Floating Solar Power Plant For Maduru Oya Reservoir

Adaderana

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for a proposal to build a 100 MW floating solar power plant in the Maduru Oya Reservoir. Previously, the approval has been granted to act on this proposal as a joint project of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, the Ceylon Electricity Board, and the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority.

ADB To Invest $50M In Solar Power Project Developer Avaada

Energy Economic Times

Asian Development Bank (ADB) Tuesday said it has inked an agreement to invest USD 50 million in solar energy project developer Avaada Energy Pvt Ltd to help the company scale up rapidly. The investment will come equally from ADB’s Ordinary Capital Resources and Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP).

China Plans A Solar Power Play In Space That NASA Abandoned Decades Ago

CNBC

China’s ambitions in space rival that of the United States. Its two main objectives were originally human spaceflight (accomplished in 2003) and a permanent Chinese space station, which is coming closer to reality — it announced in early March that a manned space station similar to ISS is now on schedule for 2022, earlier than expected.

AUSTRALIA

Work Begins On Western Australia Solar With Battery Storage To Follow

Energy Matters

Construction has begun at a Western Australia solar farm, WA’s largest solar farm, which is expected to deliver 281 GWh of clean electricity when it’s up and running.

Risen Breaks Ground On 132 MW Merredin Solar Farm

PV Magazine

After announcing recently that its 121 MW Yarranlea Solar Farm is approaching module installation readiness, Risen Energy held a groundbreaking ceremony last Friday at its second Australian project, the 132 MW Merredin Solar Farm in Western Australia (WA)

Labor Promises $100M For ‘Solar Schools’

SMH

Labor leader Michael Daley has pledged to spend $100 million installing solar panels on hundreds of public schools across NSW.

EUROPE

French Solar Output Hits Record High Of 5.8 GW

Montel

Solar power production in France hit an hourly record high of 5,840 MW between 11:00-12:00 CET on Wednesday – compared to the prior record of 5,685 MW from July 2018 –  data from TSO RTE showed.

Germany Mulls Turning Old Coal Plants Into Thermal Storage Assets

Clean Energy Wire

Researchers in Germany are exploring possibilities to turn the country’s coal plants into giant thermal storage devices once they are no longer used for power production, Jason Deign writes on the GreenTech Media website. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) currently investigates whether the boilers in coal plants can be replaced with molten salt-based thermal storage systems that can be heated with excess renewable energy.

Aquila Capital Buys 700 MW Iberian Renewables Portfolio

Industry Europe

Aquila Capital, the alternative investments subsidiary of the Aquila Group,has purchased a wind and solar power portfolio with a capacity of over 77 MW in Spain, vastly expanding their presence in the Iberian peninsula to a full capacity of more than one gigawatt.

LATIN AMERICA

Atlas Renewable Energy Secures $152M In Financing For Three Solar Projects In Brazil

Compelo

Miami, Florida-based Atlas Renewable Energy has secured long-term financing of $152m for three of its solar energy plants in Brazil, with total capacity of 300MW.

Chile Tests Solar Island

AV Press

A floating island of solar panels is being tested in Chile as a way to generate clean energy and reduce water loss at mine operations, a cornerstone of the Andean country’s economy that uses huge amounts of electricity and water.

Latin America’s First Thermosolar Plant Is Being Built In Chile

Euro News

In northern Chile, the first thermosolar plant of Latin America is springing up in the middle of the Atacama Desert.

The plant, which technology allows to produce electricity all day long unlike other forms of renewable energy, consists of a 250-metre tower surrounded by thousands of giant mirrors.

MENA

Oman Targets 30% Renewable Energy Share By 2030

Zawya

In a bid to diversify its energy sources, Oman has set an ambitious goal of covering 30 percent of its electricity demand with renewable energy projects by 2030.

Qatar’s Energy Bank To Launch In The Fourth Quarter Of 2019

Zawya

On the sidelines of the 5th Doha Islamic Finance Conference, H.E Khaled Al- Suwaidi, the Chairman of the Founding Committee of the anticipated biggest Energy Bank in the world, announced the launch of its operations during the fourth quarter of 2019.

Dubai Saves Dh1.2Bn In Water And Electricity Consumption Over The Past Decade

The National

Dubai plans to reduce carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2021 as well as energy and water use by 30 per cent by 2030, according to Dewa. Meanwhile, regulator Etihad Esco told The National last year that it was looking to generate Dh500 million worth of energy savings from retrofitting and solar rooftop installments by 2030.

NORTH AMERICA

Keystone Power Holdings Completes Solar Project For Penns Grove Sewerage Authority

PV Magazine

Today, Keystone Power Holdings, LLC and Penns Grove Sewerage Authority (PGSA) announced the completion of a solar energy project that will significantly reduce the sewer authority’s energy costs. Keystone developed, financed, and owns the system; PGSA buys the power that is generated by Keystone at a discount to current utility rates. The system is installed on land that is on and adjacent to PGSA’s wastewater treatment plant. Annual production is anticipated to be approximately 250,000 kilowatt hours (Kwh) of energy.

ENEL Acquires 650 MW Of Renewable Capacity From EGPNA REP

Saudi Energy International

Enel, acting through its renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power North America Inc., finalised the acquisition of 100 percent of seven fully operational renewable plants totalling 650 MW from Enel Green Power North America Renewable Energy Partners, LLC (EGPNA REP), an equally owned joint venture between EGPNA and GE Capital’s Energy Financial Services, the energy investing arm of General Electric.

Construction Of Texas’ Largest Solar Farm Gets Underway Near Midland

El Paso Times

Enel Green Power North America, Inc. last month kicked off construction of what will be the largest solar farm in Texas.

The company’s 497-megawatt-hour Roadrunner solar project in Upton County, near Midland, will be built in two phases, and is expected to generate around 1.2 terawatt hours annually when it’s fully operational

 

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